Second chance to life
by 99 CDN
Summary: Kate doesn't show up to work one morning and the team wonders why, but when they all receive the same email' her being abused it sends Gibbs over the edge.
1. Beginning to worry

**Chap.1**

**Beginning to Worry**

It was a normal day in NCIS; Tony was checking his e-mail eating a breakfast burrito, his feet were propped up on his desk. McGee was rebooting his computer, making sure he had no viruses. Tony's head shot up when he heard the elevator ding. Already thinking it was Kate, he minimized his e-mail and stuffed the rest of his burrito in his mouth and quickly swallowed.

"Kate, you know that blond I told you-" He quickly stopped when Gibbs stepped in front of Tony's desk.

"Do you want to finish your conversation DiNozzo?" Gibbs said taking a sip of his coffee and looking at Tony through slit eyes.

"Nah, I'm fine boss." He quickly said as he raised a pencil pretending to do some paperwork. Gibbs made a small smile and walked past Tony towards his own desk, at the last minute he turned around and hit Tony upside the head. Tony put on a fake smile and gently rubbed the target. Gibbs nodded and continued off to his desk; coffee in hand. Tony swallowed hard and hit his forehead repeatedly against his metal desk over and over again. He stopped when he heard the familiar beep of receiving mail. He took a sip of his coke and accessed his letters. He opened it up and read the 2 lined message.

"Shut up Probie!" He snapped but quickly turned around when he met with Gibbs famous eyebrow raise. "Damnit!" He whispered to himself. Behind him Gibbs allowed himself a little chuckle before breaking a dent in the mountain of paper work on his desk.

Kate paced back and forth, biting at her index nail; she did so when she was nervous. She re-read for the third time the message she received at work last night and the phone call she had just heard.

"I can stay here, no problem I got some paperwork to do. No big deal, I'll just call in sick." She walked over to the phone and was about to dial when she heard the dead ring tone on the receiver. "Shit!" She screamed and slammed the phone back on its cradle. She furiously walked over to her window and ripped the curtains apart. There across the road she noticed a black RAM 1500 parked, the windows were tinted so she couldn't see their faces, but she knew those were the men making sure she never left the house. She took a deep breath and fixed the lace curtains into place and headed towards her room stomping her feet in rage. Kate changed out of her pajamas and to reload her guns.

Black gloved hands worked their magic non-stop; typing on the computer, dragging pictures and using Photoshop to create the affects. The man took a sip of his now cold coffee and typed in the designated IP addresses. He flipped open his phone and pressed speed dial 1; he waited the total of 3 rings before it answered.

"I've done it." The mystery man said as he leaned back to review is work.

"Does it look real enough?" The man on the other side of the phone inquired, he had to make it looked real if he wanted to bait a big fish like Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"Realer then real." He said with a satisfied smirk.

"That's not a word!" Growled the other man in impatience.

"Yes Captain."

"And the girl?" The boss inquired twirling the cord of his phone around his index and taping ferociously at his own computer.

"Confined as planned…might I ask why I'm planting these?" Asked the henchman a little confused by the odd request.

"It is proven that Special Agent Gibbs has a soft spot for this woman, show her in danger he'll come running to the rescue, then we hit two birds with one stone. Okay send it."

"Consider it done."

"Excellent." He laughed evilly and hung up.

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs said raising his voice a few more decibels then usual, and slammed his cell phone on his desk and tossed his broken cell to McGee.

"Yah boss." Tony said dropping his pen and swirling in his chair to face his boss.

"Where's Special Agent Todd?" He asked but it came out as an order, he turned to look back at McGee for his cell and quickly put his hand up to catch his new cell phone. He nodded and dialed a number.

"I don't know boss, I've tried calling her at home but I keep getting a busy signal." Tony swirled again and pressed 'redial' once more and tapped his finger against his desk. He sighed and hung up, and rubbed his hairline.

"Did you try her cell or pager?" Gibbs suggested as he watched Tony shake his head embarrassed. Gibbs closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with impatience and dialed her cell phone. Out of nowhere he heard ringing in response to his connection. Tony and McGee both looked up and looked over to where the ringing was coming from. They followed Gibbs to the waste basket beside the elevator. Gibbs shut his phone and fingered a piece of trash out of the way and found Kate's cell and pager underneath a burger wrapper and a discarded coke bottle.

"Why would she throw away her cell and pager boss?" McGee asked looking at Gibbs with questionable eyes.

"Bad reception?" Tony joked but quickly shut his mouth and turned around to avoid Gibbs's deadly glare he usually shot him on a regular basis.

"Sorry Boss…" Tony mumbled and headed to his desk, he turned around and Gibbs slapped him across the back of the head. Then all of a sudden, all at once their computers beeped indicating they had mail.

**Author's Note: **_Hey I wanted to try something different so here it is. Hope you enjoy!_


	2. Unpleasant Surprises

**Chap.2**

**Unpleasant Surprises**

Kate did what came natural when she was in a foil mood; she changed into her workout clothes which consisted of black R&R sports pants and her burgundy mini-crossover camisole sports bra. She tied her hair into a hasty ponytail and went to her fridge for a water bottle. She headed into her guestroom in which she turned into her workout room. Kate placed the bottle in its holder and her desert eagle right beside it, for easy reach. Slowly bending over to stretch, she connected her hands together behind her back and while still bending over reached towards the ceiling. After counting to thirty she took a deep breath and grabbed her left ankle and pulled it behind her, and then she arched her upper body backwards until head met foot. She stood there for thirty seconds then switched to repeat. She took a good swig of water and re-capped the bottle. Walking over to her radio she punched the 'power' button and loud music filled the air.

'_So, so, so scandalous_

_You know you wanna sing with us (baby)_

_That's why you know you should be scared of us (baby)_

Standing in front of her black punching bag she tilted her head back and forth and reached her arm across her chest and held it above the elbow for 15 seconds and did the same with the other one. She wrapped her gloves tightly around her wrists and knuckles.

'_Non stop looks to kill_

_Straight talk sex appeal_

_One touch gives me chills and we ain't even close yet_

_Rough neck all around_

_Inking all over town_

_Show me how you get down_

_Cos we ain't even close yet.'_

Poised and ready she placed her fists in front of her in an offensive mode and began pelting the bag with accurate and hard punches. Her whole body swinging and kicking for all she's worth.

'_You got me feeing and you got me felling weak_

_Listen as I speak cos I'm careful as I creep_

_You got me going crazy and you know I can't sleep_

_No fortune your moves and hypnotize me_

_You got me trembling like a baby girl_

_You're so special; you're like diamonds and pearls_

_You got me spinning and you got me in a twirl_

_You're my number one baby, and you come to rock my world.'_

Back at NCIS Gibbs, Tony and McGee al opened their e-mail.

"Hey Boss."

"Yah DiNozzo." Gibbs said as he started to the top of his long list of e-mails. Only half paying attention to his subordinate.

"Did you receive an e-mail from anonymous?" Tony inquired as he ran his mouse over the e-mail.

"Actually yes I did, McGee?"

"Same here boss."

"Put it on the plasma screen." Gibbs asked as he pushed his chair back and walked over to his newest agent's desk, sipping occasionally at his coffee. Tony walked over to McGee's desk and sat on the ledge, crossing his arms over his chest. "Open the e-mail." Gibbs said into his coffee cup. They waited as McGee punched in controls and looked at the big screen. In a white background a single two worded text was written the words 'Watch Live' Tony looked at it with worry and quickly looked back at the elevator, half expecting Kate to walk in and start her normal tormenting, but it didn't happen he turned around and faced his boss.

"Drag the mouse over it, but don't click." He ordered taking another sip. McGee dragged the cursor over the link. It read **ClickS.A.T**. Gibbs ran the information through his head and thought a while. "S.A.T…S.A.T…S.A.T…DiNozzo, what do you make of S.A.T?" He eyed DiNozzo.

Tony got up and walked around the bullpen, thumb and index stroking his chin. He stopped in front of Kate's desk and took in everything on her desk. Her computer was turned off, which she always did before she left, her pencil holders were full of pencils, pens and permanent markers. Her lamp was plastered with small pictures of her fellow agents, friends and family; other then that her desk was remarkably clean. He sat in her chair and went through her drawers. In the top one he found her sketchbook and special writing tools and colored pencils, her second drawer held files of all sorts of meaning; cases she was working on or has worked on. Her third drawer held…her purse.

"Boss, I think you want to see this." He said voice uncertain. Gibbs walked over and positioned himself behind Tony and looked around his body. There was a black Gucci purse, like the one that matched her suit she wore yesterday. He un-zipped it and looked through it, without touching anything. It contained her lipstick, compact, wallet, note pad and her beloved Palm Pilot. He looked up at DiNozzo, his lips in a fretful tight line. Everyone knew Kate never left her Palm Pilot nor her purse. It was then did he figure out what S.A.T stood for, he grabbed her name plate and looked at it.

"Damn!" Gibbs swore and placed it back; he turned around and jogged the very short distance to where McGee sat looking at him strangely. Tony looked from her name plate to Gibbs.

"S.A.T…Special Agent Todd." He slammed the plaque down and quickly joined his boss and co-worker.

"Okay McGee open it." Gibbs said they all turned towards the big screen above Gibbs's desk. McGee clicked the link and they never intended to see what was displayed in front of them.

**Author's Note: **_Hey again, it kinda grew on me so I continued please tell me what you think…and oh yah the song is called 'Scandalous' from Miss Teeq_


	3. Awareness

**Chap. 3**

**Awareness**

'_You're dangerous_

_Just get it up_

_The way you move so scandalous_

_It's all about the two of us_

_A one night stand just ain't enough_

_I need more stimulation baby_

_A little more conversation maybe_

_You got me spinning out like crazy_

_There goes my baby'_

Back home Kate had just finished her intense workout, she padded her face dry and headed to her shower, unlike her usual showers, she couldn't enjoy it like she usually would, she felt hostage in her own home, and Kate never took that too lightly. She kept shaking the feeling she was being watched. She hurriedly squeezed shampoo into her hand and lathered quickly. Not letting the flavor of peach and vanilla puncture her nostrils. Next came conditioner, she caked it on and while she waited she soaped up real well. After she rinsed off the suds and conditioner she quickly jumped out and put back on her workout clothes. She didn't care if it smelled slightly like sweat; it was the only thing she owned that she could move with full capacity and strength.

She placed the gun, so it stuck out from her lower back just above the famous rumored tattoo. She walked into the kitchen and took out her knife from the drawer. She kept the knife close and her gun even closer. She then opened the fridge to take out the many assorted greens onto the counter. She also got out a bowl and cutting board from under the sink. Kate slowly began cutting her vegetables, stopping once in a while to listen to ambient noises and things that didn't belong. When she was done her salad she put all her ingredients back and retrieved the 'Italian House' dressing and poured a fair amount onto her supper.

Retreating back to the living she put down her bowl and glace of red whine on the table and went over to open the curtains a bit to let the summer sun blaze through her haunted window. She sat down and took a sip from her whine and looked up at the Ram across the street, she cheersed them and took another sip.

"Bastards!" She mumbled, hoping they would somehow hear the way she truly felt about them.

The video was set in color, though not the best amount of pixels. Even if it were in black and white it still wouldn't alter the affect it possessed on the viewers. Gibbs had dropped his coffee, black liquid pooling over his black shoes and lower pant cuff. Tony had fallen off of McGee's desk and was sitting on the floor arms flayed beside him, and McGee, well McGee couldn't do anything he was frozen in place.

On screen was Kate; blind-folded, gagged and restrained by ropes to her bed post. They saw her struggle, pulling and tugging against her restraints. They saw her wrists bleeding from the trauma she was enduring. Her hair was tousled, sprayed over her face and pillow. Her top was ripped off, exposing a yellow flower-laced bra. Her pants were also among the missing revealing the twin to her bra, and her feet were bare. The more Gibbs saw her thrash in place the angrier he became, until he couldn't handle it any more.

"McGee! Trace the e-mail!" Gibbs yelled; it made McGee un-freeze and Tony slowly get up.

"On it." McGee said and with further ado he furiously hit at keys and dragged his mouse, pointing and clicking feverously.

"DiNozzo, review every case Kate was on and tell me if any of them had a grudge on her!" Tony ran to his desk and booted up his computer, he opened the file cabinet and flicked through every file.

Gibbs ran, making his way to the staircase and bolting down the stairs to the nearest car. _Thank god it's Tony's! _He thought, he always knew Tony was a sports car fanatic and by the sight of this one, he'd get to Kate's in no time. He started the red 93' mustang and automatically hit the accelerator, causing it to screech out of the parking lot and running through a red light. He made a quick donut left; nearly causing an accident; at the moment it was the last thing on his mind. His Katie was somewhere, probably hurt, and like hell if he would obey the rules of the road at the moment. He was pretty lucky, he was by himself on this stretch of road he sped on 90…100…110…120! Km/ph. He took out the ear piece from a tiny compartment on his right and inserted the ear piece in his ear and dial using the 'speed dial' button.

"Anything on trace?" Gibbs asked the minute he heard the line pickup. He made another tight right turn and slammed on the brakes; causing the wheels to screech; he could smell burnt rubber as he stopped short from the end of a very long line cars, trucks, campers and vans alike. He slammed his fist on the wheel and swore loudly.

"Damn it!" He cut the ignition and jumped out of the car slamming the door shut and bolting for the side walk. He kept the connection as he made his was running towards Kate's house.

"The IP address matches the same address as the case concerning the little blind girl and her mother's kidnapping." McGee said furiously typing away at the computer trying to get a specific address. Gibbs sprinted through yard after yard; sometimes leaping over fences and hedges. He only had one street to go.

"That was two years ago; I thought the bastard was locked up." Gibbs said his voice straining slightly but not enough to notice it. He turned on her street and hurried towards her house, deeply trying to remember the number.

"Apparently it says in his file that he skipped death row and Petty Officer McGraw bailed him out; no one knows where he resides right now…not even his wife." McGee added matter-of-factly clicking the buttons of his keyboard then shifting over to the mouse, clicking on it furiously. Gibbs swore again and shot across the street; launching himself and sliding over a hood of a black Ram, headed to her door gun out. He hung up his connection and ran up the lawn.

Kate was silently walking through her house towards the door; gun raised poised and off safety towards the ceiling; somehow she sensed something was about to happen and she'd be damned if it caught her by surprise. As she reached the front entrance she heard a body slamming in her front door. She quickly bolted beside it ready for when the jerk would burst it down, and when he did he would bet his ass she'd be waiting ready and dangerous.

Gibbs backed up a few steps and ran shoulder first towards the door. He heard the wood splinter slightly and ran at it one more time until it flew off its hinges. Upon reflex he pulled out his gun from his holster and step in the dark entrance hall gun first.

Kate blinked when her door splintered off its hinges but took a breath and waited for the opportune moment. She watched as a gun appeared in sight she waited a second for the person to step in front of her; it was then that she reacted; she grabbed the wrist holding the gun and slammed it repeatedly hard against the door frame. She heard the man grunt in pain at every hit until he released his gun. Kate then slid behind him, wrenching his arm behind his back and shoving the nozzle of her Smith and Wesson in his lower back.

"You choose the wrong girl to piss off!" She spat out venomously. She was about to pull the trigger when her prisoner spoke in gasped breaths.

"DiNozzo…thinks…you're a…girl; now I plainly see you as a woman with way too much gym time." She slid her gun on safety and let go of his arm in shock.

"Gibbs, what the hell!..." She said sticking her gun in the rim of her pants once more.

Gibbs interrupted her by him checking her; he ran his hand down her cheek bones and tilted her head to view her neck.

"What did they do to you?" He asked as he grabbed her wrist and inspected the perfect skin. _((Where was the torn skin, the bloody lip, beaten body?)) _

She yanked her hand out of his grip still mad at him for almost making her shoot him.

"We received…" He stopped mid-sentence when the first array of bullets ruptured through Kate's house. Gibbs wrapped his arms tightly around her and threw out of the open doorway and on to the ground hard, causing her to land on a splinter that tore through her elbow. She bit her lip and tucked her head under chin seeking safety. He held onto her tightly; one hand on her lower back and the other in the back of her head. When the bullets finally stopped Gibbs slowly raised his head and looked up. Kate rolled out from underneath him and laid there to catch her breath a second. Her brown eyes met his worried blue ones.

"You okay?" He asked getting to his feet and going over to help her up. She slowly got up and pulled the 10cm long splinter out of behind her arm. She bit back a yell as she threw it on the ground.

They slowly looked at the damage her house sustained. Lamps were broken, her grandmother's ancient glass coffee table in pieces on the floor, the couch was leaking of its stuffing from the arms to its backing, pictures that were once hanging from the walls were broken on the ground and beyond that many pelted walls made her house look more like a shooting range then a suburban home. As Gibbs went for the window Kate bent over and picked up a bullet with a wad of Kleenex.

"AK-47, looks like they had 75 bullet barrel attached to it, they must have emptied about 3 rounds each." She let the bullet fall to floor; oblivious of the warm blood trickling down her arm.

From the window Gibbs looked out and noticed two men walking up the driveway, and both of them barring AK-47 rifles.

"Kate, we have company!" He urgently whispered running to her side. She met his worried gaze and looked at the entrance hall to be greeted with shadows and approaching voice. Without another thought she crumpled to the ground on her back and shut her eyes. Gibbs followed suit but on his stomach. Both their legs were uphazardly placed and their hands randomly thrown around them, fingers slightly touching the others for both support and warmth.

The men came in wearing skiing mask and supporting their weapons with one arm and kicking their way through the debris leading to the bodies. They looked at the woman and the man slumped on the ground; the woman was bleeding from her arm and the man had a smear of blood on his cheek. To these miscreants it was all they needed. One of the men took out a cell phone and clicked speed dial and waited.

"You succeeded?" The mysterious man said on the other side of the phone.

"Yes it's done we just have to locate the files on the bitch's background and then Gibbs's house next." The perpetrator hung up and turned towards his companion. "Let's get this over with and split before the police get whiff of it." He turned down towards the bodies and walked to their slightly adjoining hands and kicked their hands apart with his steel toe boot. He made his way towards the outdoors and decided to wait for his compadre.

White-hot pain seared through her hand and crept up her arm as she bit her lip gently and took a chance to open her eyes a little. She met Gibbs's steel blue ones; his tinged with concern. She shook her head lightly and shifted her head to the hallway leading towards her room. The other masked man was going through her private things. Gibbs seemed to have read her mind because he whispered sternly but very quietly beside her.

"Don't even think about it Kate! That's an order!" Gibbs's eyes portrayed a certain amount of worry but the other thing she couldn't tell what is was.

"It's one thing when Tony goes through my purse or my garbage, but when some complete stranger who just happens to shoot at me and my friend goes upstairs towards my bedroom the gloves go off…sorry Gibbs for the first time you orders have fallen on deaf ears." She didn't give him any warning but she merely held his bruising hand from where the masked man had kicked it and laid a gentle yet brief kiss on the tip and took out her gun from behind her back and tip-toed down the hall and up the stairs gun off safety and held towards the ceiling.

Gibbs looked at his fingers dazed for a second before he realized what had happened and he hurriedly yet quietly got up and chassed after her. Running what she had said over in his head repeatedly. "…_shoot at me and my friend" She had said friend, not boss, but friend. _

Kate reached the door jamb to her room and found the creep going through her drawers. _Now that's the last stray! _She advanced on him slowly and held out her gun just as he opened her underwear drawer and withdrew a laced bra she jabbed the nozzle in his neck.

"Drop it asshole!" Kate yelled, the man dropped the 'offensive piece of undergarment' and threw his hands up in the air. Gibbs came in right at that point and hit the AK-47 clear across the room. He took the man by his throat and slammed him backwards against the far wall.

"Found what you were looking for dirtbag!" Gibbs growled as he watched from the corner of his eyes Kate level her gun with the man's forehead, right between the eyes.

The guy just hastily smiled from behind the mask and chuckled.

"You think you're so smart do you Special Agent Gibbs?" Kate and Gibbs both knew that voice all too well. With the hand that wasn't clutching at the man's throat Gibbs tore off the mask and snarled.

"Tim McGraw, I was beginning to wonder when I would see you slimy-ass face again." Gibbs retorted venomously.

Kate approached weapon still poised in her hands, she stopped inches from the assailants face until the coolness of the nozzle could be felt against his skin.

"Thought I got rid of you two" He said between breaths.

"Sorry to disappoint you McGraw, but I couldn't stand to give you the satisfaction." Kate said menacingly between her teeth.

"On the contrary Special Agent Todd, you have not disappointed me at all; I never knew you for a quitter, especially since those incidents on Air Force One do you remember?" Gibbs kept his hand tightly around the man's throat but shot a quick glance at Kate.

"How could I forget? Well now at least it will be an opportune moment for revenge." She said menacingly. It was then that Tim started to laugh hysterically.

"You really think I wasn't ready for this?" He cackled evilly "You're both very popular to a lot of people you know. All of them would love to have both your heads on their wall." He said and lashed against Gibbs's restraints. Gibbs held tight and listened intently.

"What do you mean…we both have green lights on us?" Kate said surprised as she glared at him the most dangerous looking glare Gibbs had ever seen her do, it left his in the dust. She gently pulled back the trigger until a bullet slid in place in the chamber.

"Exactly, wow Gibbs, your Golden Girl's a smart cookie isn't she?" McGraw said as he struggled harder. This time he loosened Gibbs grip and slammed his knee in Gibbs's stomach hard. Gibbs's dropped to one knee and stiffened when he felt the nozzle against his left temple.

"See how fast the tables can turn Katie?" He said as he dug the gun in his temple until little dots appeared in his vision. "So what is it gonna be Katie? Save your boy toy or kill the bad guy, you're a trained Secret Service agent I'll leave the choice to you. Tick-tock Todd clock's ticking."

**Author's Note: **_Surprised myself with the length of this one yippy! Please don't hesitate I can take the good with the bad_


	4. New arrangements

**Chap. 4**

**New arrangements**

The man pulled Gibbs hair so he tilted his head to face Kate, blue ones met brown. Gibbs's expression was cool and un-worried he knew he could trust Kate to make the right choice he just hopped she would forget about him and clip the bastard.

Kate's barrel was pointed directly between McGraw's eyes and her eyes slit into a dangerous degree that would make an experienced killer cringe.

All of a sudden a horn flared from the street causing McGraw's attention to falter at the object at hand and he shifted his gaze at the window for a split second.

Kate took that opportunity and pulled back the trigger. A shot ran out in the room and Gibbs's eyes widened _whose gun went off? _A second later Tim McGraw slumped to the ground eyes plastered open staring at Kate in disbelief.

She stood there her gun still poised frozen in space the nozzle smoking from the shot. "See how the tables can turn bastard?" She repeated no tone or emotion in her voice.

Gibbs got up still clutching at his stomach and made his way over to her. He heard an engine rev but didn't pay any attention to it.

"Katie?" He walked up to her and gently took the gun from her hands and tossed it on the bed. She stared at the body as hers was shaking immensely. For a trained gunman she felt pretty embarrassed. Gibbs took her in his arms and wrapped her in a hug. It took a minute for Kate to react but she looped her arms around his neck slowly and before she knew it tears were gliding down her cheeks and onto Gibbs's gray sports coat.

"Shhh…its okay Katie it's done." He placed his chin on top of hers and whispered reassurance in her ear; she nodded and hick-upped once before she gently un-tangled herself from his embrace. Before she left his arms he posed a kiss on her hair and tucked a strand of silk behind her ear.

Kate sniffed and sat on her bed and she merely stared at the body the cadaver's eyes were opened wide and her chocolate brown ones met with lifeless green ones.

Gibbs walked over to the bed and took a blanket from it and covered the body with it making sure neither the body nor Kate could see each other.

He walked back towards Kate and leaned on one knee in front of her.

"Kate…" He said trying to get her attention; she eyed him slowly as her gaze pierced his. ", you made the right choice Katie don't kick yourself for it." Gibbs said as he took one of her hands in his and gentle rubbed her knuckles with a callused thumb. They never took their eyes off each other, the air growing thick with sexual tension. For a fleeting moment Gibbs tore his gaze from her eyes and made his way down to her lips briefly before meeting her brown eyes again.

Slowly Gibbs inched the hand not holding Kate's closer to her cheek and cupped it behind her ear, his hand sliding beneath her veil of damp brown hair. He brought her head closer to his until they were mere millimeters away from each other; they both closed their eyes prepared for the inevitable, when a voice boomed from down stairs.

"Anyone up there?" A female voice rang out which both agents identified it

as Director Shepard. Gibbs and Kate stopped and reluctantly opened their eyes. He was so close she could feel his hot breath on her lips. Embarrassed about the intrusion she leaned her forehead against his in defeat as a blush swept over her cheeks. He smiled at the look on her face and placed a sweet lingering kiss on her forehead; one that promised more and indicated at least a slice of his true feelings towards her.

Gibbs made his way downstairs as Kate stayed up to change and treat her womb. She kept her eyes on the body as she moved around her room gathering clothes and throwing away the bra McGraw had touched into the waste basket. She took out a turquoise ¾ length shirt and black cargo pants with little strings on the cuffs dangling with turquoise beads at the end of them, and made her way to the Master Bathroom and locked the door behind her.

As a team of Crime Scene Clean-up made their way through the living room picking up every bit of evidence and bagging it Gibbs and Jennifer sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"What happened Jethro?" She asked as she laced her fingers on top of the hard wood furniture. Gibbs ran a hand through his silver hair and met his eyes to her green ones.

"I received a questionable e-mail earlier on and came over to check on Ka…Special Agent Todd." He said covering up what he was about to say. He pinched the bridge of his nose and re-capped the Director through the whole story never breaking eye contact and only doing so when he sensed Kate's presence in the room. He gave her a once over and was immediately aroused. _Since when did I have these feelings? _He asked himself as he watched her get water from the fridge and place one in front of him and the Director. _Who are you kidding Jethro you've liked her the minute you commandeered Air Force One with her on it and shoved her in the head! _The other part of his brain said to himself as he watched both women talk. He could tell Kate was still stressed of the whole situation both her body language hid the fact well. Only his 19 years of expertise gave him the signs. Her sandaled foot was tapping the ground rapidly making little tapping noise, he glance at her feet and smile inwardly when he noticed her nails were painted with a light shade of pink.

"Jethro!" Jennifer said making him snap back to reality. Jennifer was about Kate's height give or take a few inches. She had strawberry blond hair; heavy on the berry and piercing green eyes. It was the eyes that led to their brief affair in Paris a couple of years ago, and truth be told the only eyes that ever bewitched him more the Jen's were Kate's chocolate-mocha ones. Jen rolled her eyes and continued talking with both of them.

"It's come to my attention that after this display of hatred that neither of you are truly safe where you are so I've come to the conclusion of putting you both in the Witness Protection Program."

Kate's jaw dropped, she was a hard-core NCIS Agent and a hell of a Secret Service Agent as well, no way in hell would she allow to be hidden away like a child; useless and defenseless. She opened her mouth to protest but Jen beat her to it.

"No if's and's or but's Kate, today was a close call, and I'll be damned if I give either of two best Agents up on a silver platter." She said sternly her emerald eyes just as intense. Gibbs stared in disbelief of what he was hearing.

"You don't think this is a little rash?" He asked her, his eyes in slits.

"Would I order it if it weren't?" She challenged. She looked at Kate for a minute if she wanted to add anything but the woman merely stared ahead in the distance taking sips of her water often and the tapping of the foot increased until Gibbs had enough of it and gently nudged it with his own, he surprised them both when he kept his foot beside hers both touching both shy yet tenderly as he held her hand as well, noticing that her fingernails were painting the same shade of ice pink. Kate got up a while later and took the water bottle with her as she stared a moment at the two Agents.

"You'll both return in the ME's truck. To everyone's knowledge you are both deceased." She turned to leave when Gibbs cleared his throat and she turned around with a sigh. "Yes Special Agent Gibbs?" She said as she un-corked the cap and took a long gulp of the water.

"So no one at NCIS can contact us and vise versa?" He asked tapping his own bottle against the table impatiently, before un-screwing it and drinking a 1/3 of the sweet nectar that Kate gave him; hey it wasn't coffee but the fact that Kate had given it to him made it much more wanting.

"Wow Gibbs your deducting skills never cease to amaze me." She said coyly and turned around and left leaving both Kate and Gibbs to sit at the table dazed at the revelations.

Kate sighed frustratingly as they placed her in a body bag and partially zipped it to the top. She bit the side of her mouth enforcing her not to speak her mind at the moment. Gibbs stared at her as she bent down and complied to them zipping her in, he was still able to hear that her breathing wasn't labored but quickening. As he lowered himself in his bag he spoke to her.

"Everything alright Kate?" He asked as the EMT's zipped him up to his mouth and picked him up and placed him on a gurney as they did to Kate.

"Yah, not to fond of confined spaces though, I just need to focus so if I don't answer you in the future don't take it personally." She perched her lips and breathed deeply squinting her eyes shut and flexing and un-flexing her hands.

Gibbs nodded to himself as he relaxed his body and took a deep breath.

The minute Kate heard the back doors open she hastily un-zipped the body bag and shot up pinching the bridge of her nose and hugging her knees gently rocking back and forth slowly.

Gibbs was at her side the very minute she started the rocking. He sat down beside and threw an arm around her shoulder and moved her towards him and gently sitting her on his lap.

"Just give me a minute." She said as she took in a deep breath and slowly breathed in taking her time and relishing the open space. She opened her eyes and moved her eyes around the truck rapidly.

"It's different when you're the one in the back heh?" He asked as he moved his arm up and down her arm causing little friction to circulate throughout her body. She took another shaky breath and nodded while plastering on a fake smile. In a brief second later she leaned her head against his shoulder and her eyes glazed over a little.

"Why do you think they were after our files?" Kate asked staring longly at the doors to flush open and feel the warmth of the sun and the avid infinity amount of space called Washington.

"Well I would guess they would contain a chunk of our lives in them such as your past in Secret Service and mine in the Marines." He said as he tightened his grip when the truck went over a speed bump.

"Sorry Special Agent Gibbs." The driver apologized and turned the truck towards the parking lot. Gibbs returned a look of annoyance and re-focused on Kate.

"No offense but what does your past have to do with anything I mean you were a Gunny weren't you? I mean is the relevant to anything?" She asked in a ghost of a whisper basically only meant for her to witness but Gibbs caught every word.

"I suppose I've pissed off a lot of people in Panama as a Sniper Assassin but as far as I can think of…you'll need a pen and paper for it all…I'm not the most compatible guy." He said. It raised a little chuckle out of Kate nervous as she might have been it was a much better state then her earlier one.

The truck stopped and they heard Tony's angry voice outside.

"What do you mean they're in the back, you have to be dead to be in back!" He exclaimed loudly as he and the EMT's made their way toward the back of the truck. Gibbs sighed as both he and Kate hurriedly lowered themselves in the bags once more.

"Kate, I know this is really uncomfortable but bear with me okay only for a little while until we're in the morgue okay…just think about focusing on something, relax you're face, render your breathing to basically nothing and focus just focus on me okay, I'll be right beside you the whole time." He said as she took another breath and maneuvered the zipper shakily all the way over her face.

She ran what Gibbs had said in her mind over and over like a black and white movie. _Focus, focus, focus, gentle breathing, relax your facial expression…focus, just focus._

The EMT's opened the double latched doors in the back and Tony shoved then out of the way.

"Oh my god." He said in a non-believable whisper. He stared at the two body bags. He jumped in and un-zipped the first one. He took in a breath when he unzipped it down to Gibbs's chin. His eyes were closed, his manner cool and relaxed. He zipped it up gently and punched the inside of the van in anger.

McGee, Abby, Ducky and Palmer ran out to the van when they heard the news. Abby slowly crept over to the opening and climbed in.

"It's all a joke is it. A sick joke right?" She asked hopefully. Tony solemnly shook his head and slowly un-zipped Kate's body bag as well. Abby broke out in tears as she looked at Kate's angelic face; her eyes were closed, yet unlike Gibbs her face was tinged in pain.

They all stepped out as the EMT's put them on stretchers. The group stood beside each other huddled closely; Ducky's head was down and he sighed sadly. Abby was in Tony's arms; her head tucked under his chin as tears slowly started to fall down her cheeks and onto Tony's shirt. McGee was solemn his expression showed nothing as they all followed them into 'Autopsy'.

Once they were on their respectable slabs the EMT's left glumly feeling sorry for the group of mourners and head towards their unit.

McGee and Tony helped Ducky un-zip Gibbs and place him on the metal slab. When they placed the neck supporter beneath his neck they moved onto Kate's body. As they unzipped her a sob came out of Abby in the corner of the room. Tony delicately lowered her on the slab and gently put the neck supporter beneath her neck as well. He ran his hand over her hair and tucked a stray strand behind her ear. He leaned forward and gently placed a kissed on her forehead and backed up and continued running his fingers through her hair as he spoke to her.

"Hey Katie, you wouldn't believe how shocked I was when they told me you were killed. My life crashed to the ground and record speed. My life no longer had meaning and never will. You were like a sister to me, and to clear the air I only made fun of you because you were the only woman I knew to take it like a man and send it right back. I know you can't hear me but I just want you to remember that no matter how I treated you I loved you and will until the end of time. I'm proud of you kid, you rolled with the punches and sent them flying back with as much effect. I'm really gonna miss you Katie." He sniffed back tears and once again posed a quivering kiss on her forehead and stepped back.

Abby walked up to Kate and held her hand with her black-nailed ones and kissed the top of hers.

"I don't know what to say Kate; I wasn't prepared for your life to end this way, not now not ever. You were an awesome person Kate, and my best friend. You had a golden personality that drew everyone to you. The first day I met you I knew; sure you were stiff and business like but underneath it all, you were the party animal I knew you were. The day we got out tattoos meant the world to me, I'll never forget you Kate, and you'll always be in my heart." She let out a choked sob and brought her hands up to the back of her neck and un-clasped her chocker and looked at it for a second before she slid it around Kate's neck and clasped it snugly. She drew back and kissed the top of Kate's hand once more and joined Tony who slid his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer.

McGee stepped with clenched fists; he was sweating slightly as he traced her cheekbones with his index.

"I liked you a lot Kate, you were the first one to welcome me in this family, and you stood by me when my life was hitting rock bottom. I can't even count the number of times you saved my life, that's what I like mostly about you Kate; your heart was as big as your brain. You cherished everyone for who they really were, and not for what they appeared to be. You always put your friends and other peoples lives before yours and I bet that's what you did today wasn't it; protecting the people you love. I promise Kate that I will find who did this to you, I will not rest until the Bastard has paid for the sin he has committed. Goodbye Kate, you'll always be with me; you'll always be my guardian angel." He sniffed and lowered his head so that he too good gently pose a kiss on her forehead. He stepped back as the group watched a second as Ducky tended to her with tears streaming down his eyes. As one they turned towards Gibbs and in turn began paying him their regrets and love.

Ducky coughed a sob as he moved Kate's hair away from her face.

"My dearest Caitlin, you of all people did not deserve this fate, you were meant to live a happy life, have children and a wonderful husband, who would take care of you and love just the way you care and love everyone around you. You were meant to grow old with your husband, and when the day did eventually came when your time has passed it would have been a painless and a death of no suffering. You have brought life to those around you and were an immense impact on everyone's life. I knew that the moment I met you on Air Force One. When I met you I noticed that since you've joined the team both Jethro and Anthony's lives made sense. You're the reason they get up in the morning and come to work my dear and as a matter of fact so do I." He cupped her face and regarded her intently. He was about to look away when he noticed tears falling from her eyes and her sides shaking slowly. He hurriedly searched for a pulse and was confused when he found one.

Right before he was about to mention it the Director walked in and gathered them all upstairs as the group took a head start Ducky stayed behind and leaned against the counter.

"Can you explain to me Madam Director why you send two living breathing agents to my Autopsy and run with the chance I open them up?" Ducky said as he looked at both Gibbs and Kate slowly get up and Kate walked over to where Gibbs sat on the slab as he hugged her as she cried.

"My sincerest apologies Dr Mallard, I admit it was rather rash of me to send them to you in this particular way but it was and is the only way we could sneak them out of the crime scene and the fastest way possible to issue them in the Witness Protection Program." Ducky looked from the Director to Gibbs who was whispering comfortingly in Kate's ear as she subsided in her weeping and she pulled free sitting beside him holding his hand. Ducky walked over to where the two Agents sat and looked at them like if it were the first time he had met them.

"You both gave me a bloody fright you're aware of that? Coming into my lab posing as cadavers, risking yourselves to be removed from the family we have formed." He brought Kate up in a hug and stood back when she breathed in a sharp breath when he nicked her elbow. "You know I would rather it be your elbow then your life Caitlin." Kate smiled slightly and held out her elbow as Ducky cleaned it and stitched it. As she was getting sewed up the Director gave both Kate and Gibbs portfolios to look over on their trip to their new destination.

**Author's Note: **_Hey my fellow fictionners…another lengthy chappy for ya'll to enjoy please tell me what you think… Brit -x0x-_


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